The Syrian opposition groups overthrew the 61-year-old Baath regime on Dec. 8, 2024. Thus, the Syrian revolution process that started in 2011 ended after 13 years of resistance against the despotic Bashar Assad's rule. The majority of the Syrian population welcomed the regime change and the leadership of Ahmed al-Sharaa. However, some regional and global powers have immediately begun to look for ways to intervene in Syrian domestic politics. These powers attempted to exploit the minorities living in the country.

Türkiye has been following a multidimensional and multilateral foreign policy for the last two decades of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) governments. While it has been trying to maintain its alliance with the Western states, Ankara has been trying to improve its relations with the non-Western world, including the Global South. Anchored in the principles of regionalism and minilateralism, Turkish foreign policy is shaped within the framework of the “Century of Türkiye” vision and the grand strategy called the “Türkiye Axis.”

During a recent diplomatic engagement, Foreign Affairs Minister Hakan Fidan underscored Türkiye’s commitment to fostering a regional counterterrorism framework independent of global hegemonic influence during his visit to Baghdad. Subsequent statements from Fidan revealed that a preliminary agreement had been reached for a joint cooperation mechanism involving Iraq, Syria, Jordan and Türkiye. The inaugural meeting of this quadrilateral alliance, initially centered on combating Daesh, is set to convene in Jordan with the participation of high-ranking officials, including the ministers of Foreign Affairs and National Defense, alongside the National Intelligence Organization (MIT).

The European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI), spearheaded by Germany, emerged in response to escalating missile threats, particularly from Russia, following Moscow’s aggressive actions in Ukraine

Türkiye is preparing for a paradigmatic shift in its Syria policy after the collapse of the Bashar Assad regime. Before Dec. 8, Türkiye’s approach to Syria centered on the fight against terrorism and the refugee problem.

The collapse of the 61-year-long Baath regime initiated a new political process for the Syrian state.

Debating what the United States wants in Syria might seem futile, as the question lacks a clear answer. This is primarily because, for some time now, the U.S.’s de facto policy in Syria—shaped by what it doesn’t want—has failed to evolve into a comprehensive strategy.